Will we head back to the Grand Slam final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, or can Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev act as saboteurs and spoil the party?
Are the stars aligning for Djokovic to aim for more major glory?
Fortune is smiling as the 38-year-old 10-time Australian Open champion is just two wins away from a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
But standing in her way to her first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon in 2024 is a familiar foe and two-time defending champion Sinner.
Make no mistake, Djokovic is in Melbourne with one goal: to make history. To cement his reputation as the most decorated tennis player of all time.
The Serbian admitted he was “lucky this time” to still be playing after falling behind 6-4, 6-3 to fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti in Wednesday’s quarter-final, with the 23-year-old Italian withdrawing in the third set with a right foot injury. Then, in the fourth round, there was a series of byes. He hasn’t won a set since the third round.
But Sinner also considers his luck. He was on the verge of being eliminated in the third round when he felt cramps and wobble during the breakdown against world No. 85 Elliot Spizzilli in the third set. His only reprieve came when the “extreme heat policy” was activated, and an eight-minute delay in closing the roof completely swung the momentum.
Sinner is on a 19-game winning streak at Melbourne Park, and the 24-year-old Italian leads head-to-head Djokovic with a 6-4 lead, including wins in his last five matches.
The sequence includes the 2024 Australian Open, last year’s French Open and Wimbledon semi-finals.
“It makes me better as a player and as a person,” Sinner said of the match with Djokovic. “We are still lucky that Novak can play great tennis at his age.
“I’m lucky to have a player like him in front of me and hopefully learn something. I feel like I learn something about him every day and every time he plays.”
Asked at a press conference to compare when he started chasing rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to when he is chasing Alcaraz and Sinner now, Djokovic said it would be rude not to mention “the 15 years between them winning Grand Slams,” adding: “To be honest, I don’t feel like I’m chasing them.” “I’m making my own history.”
“I think it’s too much for Djokovic.”
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Highlights of the Athens Open final between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti
Six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Tim Henman told TNT Sports:
“Last year, when Djokovic reached the semi-finals of four Grand Slams, he was playing so much tennis that he was tired.
“This time, yes, he has a blister on his foot, but he hasn’t played much tennis so you have to think his energy level is the best it’s been in 12 months.
“But his level of play and attitude was very average. Unless that changes a lot tomorrow, I think Sinner will beat him.”
“Sinner’s movement right now is really amazing. He uses his core strength on defense to get back on offense.
“I think it’s too much for Djokovic. Sinner is 15 years younger and that’s the biggest challenge. Djokovic is not playing at the same level at the moment. I think Sinner will definitely be at the top.”
“Djokovic will need a career performance to win.”
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The best points shared by the world’s best players Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner…
Doubles specialist Jamie Murray said: “The result is that Djokovic wasn’t very good[against Musetti]but this semi-final match is what he’s still playing tennis for, to beat Sinner and Alcaraz and win another Grand Slam final.”
“Novak has a lot of versatility, but the difficult part is his tempo. Basically, he stands on the baseline and moves from side to side.
“In these situations, the ball is fast and it certainly doesn’t slow down when Sinner hits it.
“I think Djokovic needs a career performance to win, but I don’t know if he has it.”
Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest player to win all four major titles and complete a career Grand Slam.
There are still big hurdles ahead with Alexander Zverev next and perhaps his biggest rival Jannik Sinner in the final, but Alcaraz’s progress so far is very impressive as the Spaniard is yet to drop a set.
“I’m really happy with how I played every game,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really happy that my level has improved with each match. After the first match, (the team) told me to be patient. Today I felt really comfortable and played some great tennis.”
Speaking about the rematch with Zverev, the Spaniard said: “I’ve watched Sasha throughout the tournament and I know he’s playing great tennis. We have to be ready.”
“We practiced the week before the tournament and he played great tennis and beat me 7-6. It’s going to be a great battle. I’m really looking forward to playing against him here again and getting revenge.”
Their career record is 6 wins and 6 losses, including two Grand Slam wins each.
The German has reached his 10th semi-final of the tournament and is aiming to reach his third final in two years in a row in Melbourne, but has won just one of the 14 games he has played against opponents from the top five majors.
Zverev, who was runner-up at last year’s Melbourne tournament, said, “In my case, I’m still chasing my dream of participating in the tournament. Of course I want to achieve that, but I also want to enjoy my tennis. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
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